Obono-Obla fights back, accuses Osinbajo of persecution

Former Chairman of the disbanded Special Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), Okoi Obono- Obia has accused the office of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo of being behind his persecution and travails.

Obono-Obla, who is wanted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and presently on self –exile, said he is being persecuted by the office of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo for his loyalty to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The SPIP was established to investigate cases of corruption, abuse of office and other related offences by public officers.

However, the embattled former SPIP chairman is alleging in a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, that some principal members of the office of the vice-president asked him to compromise an investigation, but he refused to do their bidding.

He said he is being persecuted for choosing to be loyal to the president, adding that he incurred the wrath of the office of the vice-president because he “refused to do their dictates and bidding.

“My travails started with my appointment as chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property in July 2017.

“The panel was constituted when the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo was acting President. He accordingly appointed one of his special assistants, Adeniran Gbolahan, as secretary. Later, I had a bitter disagreement concerning whether or not the panel should wait for mandates from the Vice President before it can commence any investigation.

“The secretary enjoyed the support of the Vice President through the Deputy Chief of Staff, Ade Ipaye. Mr. Ipaye sided Mr. Gbolahan against me.”

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Obono-Obla alleged that he was also encumbered from investigating cases of corruption among some members of the National Assembly by the office of the vice-president.

“Mr. Ipaye then wrote a letter stopping an investigation of a case of contract scam reported by the Nigerian Ports Authority….. In April 2018, Mr. Ipaye invited me to his office and instructed me not to proceed with the investigation of some members of the National Assembly,” he wrote.

In February 2019, he stated that Mr. Ipaye wrote instructing him to suspend the activities of the panel on the purported ground that government was reviewing its operations.

“When the Secretary of the panel, Mr. Gbolahan left in 2018, he was replaced by Mr. Obinna Ogwuegbu, a nominee of the Vice President who started another bout of antagonism and malice against me on the prompting of Mr. Ipaye,” Obono-Obla added.

Furthermore, the ex-SPIP chairman said the ICPC is being used as a tool by the conspirators against him, adding that “I have suffered so much persecution and witch-hunting because of the fact that I have carried out my assignment with patriotism, dedication, commitment and conviction.

“I don’t deserve this persecution and witch-hunt because of my refusal to be disloyal to Mr. President and allow the office of the Vice President to use the panel to serve vested interests.

“The ICPC which is now being used against me is under the protégé of the Vice President, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye. Professor Bolaji Owasanoye was part and parcel of the conspirators against me.”